Submitting ECE M.S. Graduation Paperwork

If you are an ECE student nearing the completion of your coursework and/or capstone requirements this quarter, please review the information below and submit your Graduation Paperwork Google Form by the deadline.

×Winter 2026 Deadline: 

Friday, January 16, 2026 (Friday of Week 2)

 

On behalf of the ECE Student Affairs Unit, congratulations on this huge achievement- you should be very proud!

Graduation Checklist

Roadmap to Graduation
Submit Graduation Paperwork Form

Winter 2026 Graduating M.S. Students need to submit the Google Form by the Friday, January 16, 2026 deadline.

Important Enrollment Notice:

  • Winter 2026 graduates, please do not waitlist and/or enroll in Spring 2026 otherwise your degree cannot be awarded.
  • If you waitlist in courses, you might automatically be enrolled by the WebReg system, which will trigger the billing. You will be expected to pay for the fees unless you submit a withdrawal by the first day of instruction based on the UCSD schedule of refunds. The degree conferral system and the billing system are separate and do not communicate. It is a student's responsibility to monitor their record and make sure that they do not waitlist and enroll in courses.
  • If you have been approved to continue in the Ph.D. program, you can disregard this enrollment notice.

Still waiting to pass the M.S. Comprehensive Exam or thesis defense? 

  • Submit the Google Form by the deadline!
  • Do not wait for your comprehensive exam or thesis result.
  • Late submissions require an exception request with the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA). 
    • Approval is not guaranteed and may delay your graduation. 

Still enrolling/waitlisting in classes? 

  • Submit the Google Form by the deadline!
  • Late submissions require an exception request with the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA). 
    • Approval is not guaranteed and may delay your graduation. 
  • If your course schedule changes, you do not need to resubmit the Google Form but please make sure that your course counts towards the degree. We will be checking at the end of the quarter to confirm that all requirements have been satisfied.

Change of plans?

  • If you decide not to graduate and you’re within your 6-quarter time limit, you can defer your graduation to another quarter by emailing ECE M.S. Advising by Friday of Week 10.
  • You do not need to resubmit your graduation paperwork unless there are major changes (e.g., capstone plan, transfer to Ph.D.) since your last submission, or if ECE M.S. Advising requests additional information or updates on your graduation plans.
  • Note that if you submitted a final quarter RCL, you must extend your I-20 to your new graduating quarter before it expires. 

Please note:

ECE M.S. advisors are working very hard during this heavy volume period. Please refrain from sending duplicate emails; specifically, about a confirmation of receipt. If you submitted graduation paperwork already, we will inform you if there are any issues. We truly thank you for your patience and understanding during this busy time. 

      Final Quarter Enrollment

      Final Quarter Half-Time + Reduced Course Load Information

      With approval, students can attend UCSD at half-time status. Graduate students are considered half-time if they enroll in 1-6 units in a quarter. Enrolling at half-time status requires approval. To see more details about fees, eligibility, and the application process, please visit Half-Time Study (Graduate Students).  Graduate students are eligible for half-time status if they enroll in 1-6 units and are applying by the end of Friday of Week 2 of the quarter that they would like to be a half-time student. 

      International students in the United States are eligible to apply for a final quarter RCL and enroll in less than 12 units for their final quarter. The RCL can correspond to the half-time study application depending on when the student is applying and if they are enrolling in 1-6 units. If you would like to be on an approved half-time you must complete both the Reduced Course Load form via ISEO's iServices + Half-Time Study application. 

      Please read the Final Quarter RCL eligibility policy on ISEO's website remote courses.

      Graduate students are eligible for half-time status if they enroll in 1-6 units and are applying by the end of Friday of Week 2 of the quarter that they would like to be a half-time student. As long as the request is submitted by the deadline, it will be time-stamped and honored, unless there is an on-campus employment issue or other conflict. Students who would like to pursue this option need to submit two forms: Final Quarter RCL and Half-Time Form. Please read the Final Quarter RCL eligibility policy on ISEO's website for remote courses.

      • Full-time status (12+ units which will require paying full-time tuition and fees)
      • Part-time status + RCL (7-11 units which will require paying full-time tuition and fees)
      • Half-time status + RCL (1-6 units which will require half-time tuition and fees - due by Friday of week 2 of the quarter that you are requesting HT for)
        • Be sure to list pmercier@ucsd.edu in the faculty advisor email address section and Mercier, Patrick P in the faculty advisor name section.
          • Please do not contact Professor Mercier about this. The application will be routed to him automatically and it will approve it once it is in his queuing system. 

      The iServices forms via ISEO's website make modifications to I-20 documents while GEPA's forms trigger billing adjustments.  Students who would like to pursue this option need to submit both forms: Final Quarter RCL and Half-Time Form. Please read the Final Quarter RCL eligibility policy on ISEO's website for remote courses. 

      Half-Time Billing Information:

      • It typically takes about 2-3 weeks for a half-time application to be approved by everyone; students will need to plan accordingly and pay the bill by the billing deadline. 
      • If your bill was paid for full-time tuition, and then you applied for half-time by the Friday of week 2 deadline, you will receive a reimbursement, which will be reflected on TritonLink.
      • If your half-time application is still in progress and the billing deadline is approaching, you will be expected to pay for the bill by the deadline and then receive the reimbursement via TritonLink, once your application has been fully approved. 
      • If you applied for half-time well in advance of the billing deadline and got approval from all parties, the fees will be adjusted via TritonLink and you can pay the reduced amount by the billing deadline.
      • Once your application has been fully processed by all 8 parties, your reduction in tuition will be reflected in TritonLink whether that is in the form of a reimbursement or billing adjustment.
        Filing Fee (Plan I Thesis Students Only) 

        Students that are finished with all of their M.S. coursework but need to fulfill their capstone requirement (defend thesis) have the option of going on filing fee status during their final quarter. You must be fulfilling your capstone requirement during your final quarter to go on filing fee status. Filing fee status is limited to one quarter only, if unable to complete degree during the filing fee status, you must register in courses during the following quarter while still abiding by the ECE 6 quarter time limit.

        Students that would like to be on this status need to submit their Degree Audit in PDF format to Advance to Master's Candidacy during the quarter that they were last enrolled in courses. For example, if a student would like to do a filing fee in the Spring Quarter, they would need to advance in Winter Quarter. 

        Students who are on approved filing fee status will need to pay $215 but do not need to enroll in courses/pay for tuition and fees. *the fee is subject to change depending on the Registrar's Office rates.

        • ECE M.S. Academic Advising will need to submit a General Petition form, on your behalf, for the filing fee. Please contact them for more information on how to complete this step. 
        • If you live on campus and would like to do a filing fee during your final quarter, please contact the UCSD Housing Community that you live in for more information.  
        • You must contact Student Health Services regarding eligibility for voluntary student health insurance.
        • The M.S. degree will be awarded once the capstone requirement has been passed and is completely fulfilled. The date issued on your degree will be the last day of the quarter that you passed your capstone requirement.

        International student Information:

        • You must also submit the final quarter Reduced Course Load form for filing fee via iPortal. 
        • If you submitted an OPT application, and your start date already began, you can begin working while on filing fee status. 
        • You will not be eligible for off campus employment, including CPT (F-1 students) or Academic Training (J-1 students).
        • You must submit your iPortal request by end of the 2nd week of the quarter.
        • You must apply for Optional Practical Training (F-1 students) or Academic Training (J-1 students) by the end of the 2nd week of the quarter.
        • If you submitted an OPT application, and your start date already began, you can begin working while on filing fee status. 
          • Please work with your employer and inform them that you have a pending capstone requirement.

        Still have questions?

          Degree Processing Timeline

          Processing Time for Degree Conferral on TritonLink
          • There are several departments involved when checking your degree requirements and that need to process your graduation paperwork. This takes some time.
          • Keep in mind that these departments are processing graduate student degrees from the ENTIRE campus, not just ECE. Therefore, it can take about 7-10 weeks after the quarter has ended before you see that your degree is conferred via TritonLink/Academic History. 
          • If you would like to request verification documents for employment purposes, please see the "Degree Verification & Diploma" section below for instructions. 
          • Your patience is truly appreciated.

            Degree Verification & Diploma

            Degree Completion / On-Track to Graduate Verification Letter

            Once your degree paperwork is processed by the GEPA, a completion letter from the Dean of the GEPA will be emailed to you in PDF format: 

            • This email is sent from noreply@noreply.ucsd.edu. Please check your spam folder.
            • GEPA cannot stamp your letter with a university seal. 
            • You will receive the letter 7-10 weeks after the quarter has ended. 

            The Registrar’s Office provides Official Transcripts, Verification and on track to graduate letters, which include details such as transcripts, enrollment status, major, student level, units completed, degrees awarded, GPA (quarterly and cumulative), and registration fees paid by term, expected graduation date.

            Learn how to obtain official verification of enrollment and other student data by visiting Transcripts and Verifications, How to Request Verification Documents and Verification Request FAQs.

            Commonly issued verification-related letters:

            Still have questions?

            About Diplomas

            Major Name on Diplomas

            • The major name that is printed on the diploma will match what is listed on Academic History: Electrical Engineering (Specialization/Track/Major)
            • Capstone or thesis information will not appear on the diploma. 

            Degree Conferral Date on Diplomas

            Digital Diplomas

            • Information about Digital Diplomas can be found on this website. 

            Diploma Shipping

            • Diplomas are typically available 3-6 months after the quarter ends. 
            • It will be mailed to the permanent address that is listed on TritonLink. 
              • To update your address, edit it on TritonLink before the end of the quarter.
              • If the deadline has passed, email Registrar-AcademicRecords@ad.ucsd.edu to see if your diploma address information has already been sent to the printing company.
            • International Students: If you want your diploma mailed to a U.S. address instead, please send an email to Registrar-AcademicRecords@ad.ucsd.edu. See email template on ISEO's website. 

            Ordering A Replacement Diploma

            • Find out how to order a replacement diploma here.

            What name will appear on my official transcript and diploma?

            • If you declared or changed your lived name on December 6, 2023 or later, then any official transcripts and any diploma ordered after this date will have your lived name by default. You can review and change this setting on the Social Identities Tool to request these documents be issued in your legal name instead. Please update this setting before ordering your official transcript, and prior to the end of your last class for diplomas. 

              If you declared your name prior to December 6, 2023, then your documents will continue to follow the older rule by default, and your legal name will continue to appear on your documents unless change this setting or enter a new lived name on the Social Identities Tool.   

            • Additional information is available on the Registrar's Office website. 

            Still have questions?

              UCSD Commencement Ceremony

                Commencement Ceremonies

                UCSD holds Commencement Ceremonies in June. Graduate Students may participate in:

                International Student Visa Letter Requests - Family Commencement Invitation Letter

                International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) provides various types of verification documents/letters from ISEO that verify their visa status as students at UC San Diego such as Visa Status or Enrollment Verification, Work Authorization Verification and Other Support Letters. 

                The most commonly letter requested is a Family Commencement Invitation Letter for visa support. Students can find information about all letters on ISEO's website. 

                Still have questions?

                International Students: OPT (Post-Graduation Employment in USA)

                Optional Practical Training (OPT) Information

                UCSD Information & Resources

                • If you would like to stay in the United States after graduation, you will need to apply for a 12-month Optional Practical Training (OPT) work authorization and obtain an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) card through the U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS). 

                • Optional Practical Training (OPT) is a type of employment authorization for F-1 students. It is an opportunity to pursue a 12-month period of work experience in your major field of study, and can be used for a paid position located on-campus or off-campus. OPT is valid for up to 12 months (with a possibility of extension for STEM majors). During the OPT period, you maintain F-1 student status.

                UCSD/ISEO Resources: 

                • See ISEO's OPT website for more information about OPT and how to apply for this opportunity.
                • See ISEO's OPT FAQ page for more information on the initial OPT, STEM OPT Extension, Maintaining Status on OPT, USCIS Processing and Other Issues.
                • Consider contacting ISEO for assistance. 

                USCIS Resources

                • Please visit USCIS OPT page for more information about the OPT application process.

                Alumni Services

                UCSD Alumni Email Service

                Any UCSD Alumni (B.S., M.S. and/or Ph.D.) can request an email service to keep using the @ucsd.edu email account. For more information, please check out the Alumni Email Service webpage.

                Still have questions? 

                Skills Verification Letter (PERM/Green Card)

                ECE M.S. students must submit a Google Form to request a Skills Verification Letter needed for a PERM/Green Card application.

                • Note that courses in which a "D", "F", "U" and/or "W" grade was earned cannot be verified. UCSD CPT internship courses (ECE 298), TAship courses (ECE 501), and research courses (ECE 299) cannot be verified.  
                • Note that the skills verification letter is in PDF format using UCSD letterhead. We cannot provide letters with a wet signature—only e-signature.
                • While you may have a template provided by your employer or lawyer, we use a department template that has been accepted by other students that will include all pertinent information.
                • Please allow 3-4 weeks for the skills verification letter to be approved by the ECE Vice Chair and sent to you via email as a PDF. 

                Still have questions?